Jerry Barnard was born May 7, 1927 near Courtland, NE. At age 17, he and a couple of buddies volunteered to serve in World War II. Although they enlisted together, they were split up into different branches. Jerry entered the Navy in 1945 and was released in St. Louis in 1946. He was stationed in Okinawa for most of his service time. After the war, Jerry married and started a family. He worked for the Railroad and was a member of the American Legion for 24 years.